"I can confirm that the sidewalk is indeed more interesting than the ceiling." Dipper said, kneeling down at the sidewalk for a closer look.
"See? I'm always right." Was Mabel's response. Dipper raised his head to respond to his twin's comment, only to see that she had moved on. "Now come on, silly. We're gonna be late!"
"Coming!" Dipper said, running to catch up. It didn't take him long to catch up to Mabel. Should I ask anything Dipper thought, contemplating saying something to his twin. Is it too soon? It took several second after that for him to finally say,
"Hey, Mabel?" he didn't have to wait for her response.
"Yeah Dipper?" She looked at her brother with a smile.
"So... Are you gonna miss being a Mystery Twin?"
"Well, yeah." was Mabel's reply. "Why are you asking?"
"Well … It just looks like-"
"Dipper, without the mystery twins, think about how much of my scrapbook would be here right now." Mabel said, turning around and walking backwards through it. She started digging around her backpack as Dipper started to respond.
"It wouldn't be there." Dipper replied without needing to think.
"And contestant number one is corrrrect!" Mabel joked, pulling her scrapbook out and opening to a random page.
"Everything interesting that happened over the summer was because of Gravity Falls." Dipper said, looking at the page his sister had opened up to. "And everything about our summer was a result of the journals…" Dipper trailed off as melancholy covered his once happy expression.
"The journals..." Dipper said again. He had started to slow down and look at the ground, almost in shame. Mabel took the initiative to try and help her brother.
"Don't let the frown stay right-side up." Mabel said, slowing down further and turning herself to be at Dippers side. "There was nothing you could have done. Bill did what bill did best, and there's nothing that could have been done to change that. Besides where's moping around about it going to get you?" Dipper's twin was twirling ahead of him, climbing a small hill in the process before stopping near its summit.
"I guess..." Dipper said, unsure of himself. He couldn't see beyond the summit of the hill at whatever Mabel was looking at.
"Well I have a question for you." Mabel said, looking out beyond the hill.
"Yeah Mabel?" Dipper, curious as he was, looked at his sister expectantly.
"Do you think high school is as bad as Wendy said it was?" Dipper turned to look where Mabel was looking to see the magnificent high school, students pouring in from all directions. From behind the pair a large boy who must have been at least a junior pushed forward from between them. His face was that of a cow somehow knowing of it's own demise in a slaughterhouse.
"I don't know." Dipper said sarcastically. "You know how teenagers have a habit of exaggerating." After his last statement Dipper took a moment to contemplate something.
"Wendy never came across like that." Mabel said, a smile creeping across her lips when she looked up at Dipper's hat. "Not to me at least"
"You're not alone." Dipper said, taking of his gifted hat. "She was always honest...and straightforward...almost brutally so..." he said it with an earnest smile, fingering at a slip of folded paper he had in a broken seam. He started walking forward as he held the hat just a bit closer.
"Uh oh!" Mabel taunted, walking backwards to match Dipper's speed. "Sound like someone can't let go."
"Well how can I?" Dipper retorted, putting Wendy's hat back on. "And can I just ask why we chose to walk the long way? We've got what, 5 minutes to get there and NOT be late?"
"Because I wanted to look at the high school on the way. It's not the long way, its the scenic route!" Mabel said, raising her arms to the world. "Though with the time we have, it MIIIGHT not have been the best option."
"Far from idea, that's for sure. Race you there!" Dipper said, breaking into a run for the middle school down the road from the high school.
"Oh you're on, big boy!" Mabel said, her words followed by a laugh.
Truth be told, the middle school was not far at all past the high school. It didn't take long, but at the same time it took long enough.
"Ha!" Mabel said, touching the side of the building. "I always knew I was the better twin." There was a smug look on her face despite her heavy breathing when Dipper touched the side several seconds later, panting from the exertion.
"*pant* *pant* I thought you were happy *pant* *pant* with the height advantage." Dipper's hands were on his knees as he gasped for air. Through his heavy breathing, he stood up, looked around the seemingly desolate area, and asked "Hey, where is everyone?" Mabel took a moment to answer.
"I... guess they're inside. We should probably hurry up."
"Probably."
The two hurried inside to the sound of first-day announcement type things echoing down the halls. The first living person they saw was an older woman, probably in her early 50's, standing at a corner for late starters such as themselves.
"Down the hall and to your right. You should really have gotten here sooner, you know."
"Thanks!" Was Mabel's response, running with her brother down the hall.
"And there's no running in the halls, thank you!" called the teacher back at them.
If you were to ask my honest opinion, this is where the magic ends. This is where the diminishing return begins, where more work must be used for the same result. Have a good day.